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iro LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, pvl 



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SKIPPED STITCHES. Verses, cloth, i6mo. 

50 cents. 
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A CHRISTMAS SNOWFLAKE. An illus- 
trated rhyme for children. Cloth, lomo. 
50 cents. 

All Bookstores 

or ordered of the author 

Plainville, Conn. 




Looking wistfully up at the gray winter skies 



A CHRISTMAS 

SNOWFLAKE::: 

A Rhyme for Children 



BY 

Anna J. Granniss 



SECOND THOUSAND 



ILLUSTRATED 



WITH LIFE PICTURES 



HARTFORD, CONN. 

C. M. GAINES, 66 STATE ST. 

1904 



"THe LIBRARY OF 


CONGRESS, 


One Cofv Rfgeiveo 


iAN. t6 1905 


nnpvwifwrr cM-n»v 


^Cir.^t^^ fC^OS 


CLASS ^3_Vxo. Mo. 


7///S- 


COPY A. 



/7c.t^ * *<.. 



K 



Copyright 1903 
BY Anna J. Granniss 



All rights reserved 






- ,< 
^.i 



To the meinor3' 

of 

Mary and Willie 

The baby sister 

And the little brother 

Who went away one 

Christmas 

Many years ago 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Frontispiece .... 

One little fellow crying outright 

The star and the angels 

" I'M so glad !" . 

The snowflakes coming down 

Going to find Santa 

Mother Snowbank 

Santa Claus scanning the skies 

The reindeer at home 

Christmas Bells . 

A DEAR little ONE 

The WORLD asleep 



1 


3 


5 


8-9 


11 


14 


15 


18 


20 


21 


22 



A Christmas 

Snowflake 



A Christmas 
Snowflake 

A little white snowflake that lived in the sky, 
Kept looking down here with a tear in its eye; 
And wherever it looked, alas, it could see 
The ground was as bare, and as brown, as could 

be ; 
And out of the windows, the children's bright 

eyes 
Looked wistfully up, at the gray winter skies, 
While one little fellow was crying outright. 
Because the white snowflakes were nowhere in 

sight. 
And how could Santa come 
In his reindeer sleigh, , ^^ 

And Christmas now only A-.':. ^^k 

Just two days away? ^ ^^ff 



2 

It happened just then, that there came dancing by, 
Two lovely large flakes from somewhere in the sky. 
And the little flake cried, " Oh, beautiful flakes, 
I've been here looking down, till my very heartaches; 
See how dismal it looks, down there on the earth. 
Instead of gay laughter, and shouting, and mirth, 
The children are crying, their bright eyes are wet. 
For thinking the snowflakes are going to forget. 
Will you go down with me sometime before night? 
The children would see us, and laugh with delight." 
" Why you dear little flake 

Now just dry your eye," 

Said the lovely white flakes, 
" We'll go down by and by. 

Just now, we would rather 

Whirl 'round in the air, 

Than to settle ourselves 

Away off down there!" 
"And just think," said one, "of my pretty new 

gown. 
Being stepped on, and spoiled, and all trodden 

down !" 
Then gaily enough they were dancing away. 
When the brave little flake found courage to say. 




"There's a 

beautiful 
Story, so I've been 
told, 
Very sweet, and tender. 

And true, and old, 
About a star. 
And the wonderful birth. 

Long ago, of a Christ-Child 
On the earth ; 

And now, every year 

At a certain time 
The bells everywhere 

Ring out their chime. 
And children gather 

From near and from far. 

To sing of that wonderful 
Child, and the Star. 




" And oh, beautiful flakes, 

The time now draws near ; 
But alas, see the earth, 

How dark and how drear! 
And on Christmas morning, 
Why, do you not know. 
The earth must be covered 

All over with snow? " 
Then the little flake said. 

With a brave bright air, 
" I'm 

going 
to 
get 

ready 

and 

go 
down 

there !" 




' I'm so glad 



And then looking down 

On the dark dreary space, 
The lovely flakes said, 

" But in such a big place. 
Why, whatever could one 

Tiny snowflake do ? 
Such a w^ee little 

Delicate bit hke you. 
You just wait half a minute 

And we'll go too !" 

So they hurried, and skurried. 

And flew around. 
And told every snowflake 

That could be found ; 
They waltzed 'round in circles. 

They danced on tip toe. 
They could not hold still 

Getting ready to go. 



. « ' . * / « And at last they came * • • • 

'*'•*, ' *•" •.•••*.'' 
'.* , , ' * ' Flying, fluttering down, ' • • 

\ * . '/.All white in the city, -. ' ' • 

r / ' * *.' ' ; All white in the town. / .\ 

• . • , * ^ . They draped every steeple 

. , ♦.*»•• And tower in sight,- . "*; 
• * * • .** ' They 'dressed all the trees.** %' 

\ -'^ . . - ^ •.:•.-•••. 

• \ ' / • ' ' Aeainst Chrisfmas'mVht, ' , 

'/,.'.-'•• •' v.V • - '. ••. \ • 

» *• ' \ • ' .' And 'then covered the ground 
. \ \, v." *'• ' AlPover withlwhite. . ■ V - 

*-, «•• ^. ...#• ,,,, •^-« 



,^.V/*VV 



.-,':--:n,%:s:<.: 



.■:.'/'>^? • 






ISill2S£gS:-'^*^3 



' • . ' , * ' . They hung to the shutters, . -^ * 

• *'.'/* * • / ' ' ' ' ' ' ' i' '/ ' ' ' '0 

• ' ; . ; .* • ' ^ They' clung^ to the doors, ^ , ' 



* * * ' • . • They tapped- on the windows • 

' *♦,:.% •;•. »V- : : ' •• .'...,.; 

I * \ / ' • And peeped thro' the pane, * 
' •• \.. • , , Then in a twinkling -^ • . • ' 

/' \ •• ^' . • . ":-, . . •- . ,^ ••,•.• » 

* # * " V • They vanished again. - . • * 
' ' '*.',' And they found everywhere,' • • 



'keep* Christmas night. *; 




10 



'^OW good Mother Snowbank 

Up there in the sky, 
Had dropped into a doze 
As the hours sHpped by ; 

She awoke with a start, 

And looking around. 
Not one of her snowflakes 

Was anywhere found. 

She tip toed 
In here, 

And she tip toed 

Out there, 

She turned the clouds over 
With greatest of care. 

Not a sign of a snowflake 
Was seen anywhere. 




Going to find Santa 



13 



Then she puffed out her cheeks 

And began to blow ; 
She whistled up high, 

And she whistled down low ; 
And she blew, till the tree tops 

Went to and fro. 

She whistled and blew 
Till the air was clear, 

But the snowflakes pretended 
They did not hear. 

And each nestled down 

In its chosen retreat. 
To wait for the click 

Of the reindeer's feet. 




So good Mother Snowbank 
Up there in the sky, 

Just drew in her breath 

With a long drawn sigh — 



Then, she suddenly tore 
A small cloud in two. 

And in the queer fashion 
That some people do, 

She made her a night cap 

To put on her head. 
Then shook up her pillows 

And went off to bed. 



' W/'AY off up in Northland, 
His hand to his eyes, 
In his door stood Santa Claus 
Scanning the skies ; 



He saw Mother Snowbank 

Go off in a huff. 
And he knew where the snowflakes 

Were well enough ; 




For he shook his head, 

And he laughed " Ho, ho, ho ! 
Tell me of a Christmas 

Without any snow. 
It's time I was getting 

Things ready to go !" 



16 



pjE harnessed his reindeer 

So nimble and fleet, 
The snow would not feel 

The light touch of their feet; 
He loaded his sleigh 

Full of everything nice, 
Then jumped in himself. 

And was off in a trice — 

When the reindeer snorted, 

And stamped their small hoofs. 
People thought 'twas the wind. 

And the snow on the roofs ; 
So all unmolested 

He worked with his might. 
And was ready for home 

Long before daylight. 




1 he reindeer at home 



permission of the Berlin Photographic Co 



19 



Then fainter, 

and fainter, 

And farther away, 

Came the 

Ting-a— Hng-Hng, 

From the vanishing sleigh. 

Back, over the snow 

It flew Hke the wind, 

And never once stopping, 
Or looking behind, 

Old Santa rode on. 

Till he reached 

His own door. 

Just where 

He had loaded, 

A short time before. 



20 




•^^ 



^5fiKSc 



Then 
Over the mountains, 
And over the dells, 
The world 
Set to ringing, 
With sweet 
Christmas bells; 

And gifts 
And kind wishes, 
Went flying 
around, 
As fast as the 

flakes 
When they fell 
To the ground. 





21 



And the good little flake 

That up in the sky, 

Had looked on the earth 

With a tear in its eye, 

At sound of the bells 

Fairly shown with delight. 

For Christmas had come. 

And the world was in white. 

And Santa had been 

At the dead of the night, 

In his reindeer sleigh, 

And was safe out of sight. 




22 



And the dear little ones 
Whose eyes were so wet, 
Knew now, the snowflakes 
Did not forget ; 
For over the earth 
They were spread far and wide, 

In a beautiful robe 
For the glad Christmas tide — 
While down to the wondering 

World from above. 
Came the spirit of Peace, 

Of Goodwill, and Love. 
LOfC. 




'NECOPYRECt 
m 18 1905 



»COPYDEL TOCAT. DIV. 

JAN 17 •9u5 



m 20 1905 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



III* 

020 994 434 



